Railroad cross-tie.



E. WARTMAN & N. MITCHELL. RAILROAD CROSS TIE.

APPLICATION FILED Aus.22. I9I6.

1,225,688 Patented May 8, 1917.

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E- WARTMAN & N. MITCHELL.

RAILROAD CROSS TIE.

APPLICATION men AUG.22. 1916.

1,225,688., Patented May 8, 1917.

2 SHEETSSHEET 2.

WITNESSES: INVENTORS f M Edward War/27100 /Ve/ s M76/76V/ I By M z W A TTURNE EDWARD WAR'IMAN AND NELS MITCHELL, OF EVERETT, WASHINGTON.

RAILROAD CROSS-TIE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 8, 1917.

Application filed August 22, 1916. Serial No. 116,562.

To (6Z6 whom it may concern.

Be it known that we, EDWARD TVARTMAN and firms MrrcrinLL, citizens of the United States, residing at Everett, in the county of Snohomish and State of lVashington, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Railroad Cross-Ties, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in railroad cross-ties, and the object of this improvement is to provide a metallic cross-tie having resilient means for absorbing the shocks and pounding due to the passage of heavily loaded car wheels over the rails.

in the construction of railroads at the present time, wooden cross-ties are almost universally used, although there is an insistent demand for a cross-tie of a more durable material that will not rot out and wear out within a few years. The greatest obstacle heretofore encountered in the production of metallic or ss-ties is due to the nonelasticity of the material; for instance, where metal or reinforced concrete is used for ties it is found that the pounding and impact of rapidly moving car wheels soon break or bend the ties and cause a quick deterioration of the rails and rolling stock, due to the absolute inelasticity of all of the parts. Where wooden ties are used the elasticity of the wood absorbs most of the shock and jar due to the passing of heavy loads, and prevents a great deal of the harmful effect to the rails and rolling stock.

In designing this cross-tie, we have provided means whereby an elasticity equal to the elasticity of a wooden tie is secured by a novel arrangement of relatively light springs and levers disposed within a metallic cross-tie.

The invention consists in the novel construction, adaptation, and combination of parts, as will be more clearly hereinafter described and claimed.

In the drawings, Figure l is a plan View of a cross-tie constructed in accordance with this invention; Fig. 2 is a view in longitudinal vertical section of the same; Fig. 8 is a view in horizontal section on broken line 3, 3 of Fig. 2; Fig. 4 is an enlarged view in cross section on broken line 4, 4 of Fig. 2, and Figs. 5, 6 and 7 are enlarged views in perspective of details of the invention.

Referring to the drawings throughout,

which like reference numerals indicate like parts, the numeral 8 indicates a rectangular box-like casing formed preferably of a steel casting of suitable shape for a rallroad tie and havlng an open top side that 18 adapted to be closed by three cover plates 9,

10, and 11.

The plates 9, l0, and 11 are provided with lugs 12 that project downward over the sides of the casing 8 and are secured thereto by screws 13 in such manner that the plates may be easily removed.

The rail supporting devices are in duplicate, one near each end of the casing 8, so that a description of one of such devices will be held to apply toboth.

The rail supporting devices each consist of a rectangular box, 14, open at top and bottom, and of suitable size and shape to lit within the casing 8, such box being provided on its two ends with interiorly projecting shoulders 15 (see Fig. 4) and on its two sides with other interiorly directed shoulders 16 (see Fig. 2), and with cutaway portions, 40, for purposes hereinafter explained.

17 are rail supporting blocks that are adapted to fit within the boxes 14 and are provided with downwardly directed shoul ders 18 that engage the shoulders 16 when heavy weight is sustained by the blocks.

Rails 20 may be clamped to the top sides of the blocks 17 by plates 21, which are secured to the blocks 17 by screws 22.

The bottom side of each block 17 is disposed to rest upon hearing ridges 19 provided on the short ends of two lever arms 23 and 24 respectively, which are secured on pivots 25 and extend outwardly in opposite directions to a considerable distance. The outer ends of the lever arms 28 and 24 are provided with eyes, 26, that fit over belts or pins, 27, which extend upwardly through the bottom of the casing S and are provided above the lever arms with helical compression springs, 28, held in contact with the lever arms by nuts, 29.

The blocks 17 are retained within the boxes 14 by screws 30, which extend through the sides of the casing 8, thence through the ends of the boxes 14, and project within slotted recesses 31 in the ends of the blocks 17, thus securing the boxes 14 to the casing 8, and permitting a limited vertical movement of the blocks 17 within the boxes 14.

The cover plates 9, 10, and 11, are each provided with suitable holes, 32, through which access may be had to the springs 28 and nuts 29 for the purpose of adjusting the tension of such springs or replacing the same if they are broken, the holes 32 being closed by plates 38, secured to the covers by screws 3r.

Under ordinary circumstances, the various parts of the device will assume the positions shown in Fig. 2, with the blocks 17 resting on the bearing ridges 19, and the outer ends of the lever arms 23 and 24- held in contact with the bottom of the casing 8 by the springs 28. When a heavy load passes over the rails 20 the weight will be transmitted to the short ends of the lever arms and the springs 28 will be compressed, thus permitting a very slight downward movement of the clocks 17, which blocks will be moved upwardly again as soon as the weight is removed. In this way, by the use of relatively light springs, sui'licient elasticity or resiliency is secured to absorb the sudden shock or pounding occasioned by rapidly moving, heavily loaded wheels; and the danger of bending and breaking the ties and damaging the rails and rolling stock is obviated.

The pivots 25 are contained entirely within the boxes 14, and such boxes may be removed from the casing 8 by taking out the screws 30 and detaching the outer ends of the lever arms and 24.

hat we claim and desire to protect by Letters Patent is:

1. A metallic railroad tie comprising a casing, boxes disposed therein in spaced relation, rail-carrying blocks movable vertically in said boxes and resilient means supporting said rail-carrying blocks.

2. A railroad tie comprising a metallic casing, guide boxes disposed therein in spaced relation, rail-carrying blocks movable vertically in said boxes, resilient means supporting said blocks and rigid means limiting the downward movement of said blocks.

3. A railroad tie comprising a metallic casing, guide boxes disposed therein in spaced relation, said guide boxes having interioly disposed, upwardly directed shoulders, rail-carrying blocks adapted to fit within said boxes, said blocks having clownwardly directed shoulders engageable with the shoulders in said boxes to limit the downward movement of said blocks, and resilient means supporting said blocks.

4. A railroad tie comprising a metallic casing, having an open top side, cover plates for said casing, guide boxes disposed in said casing, said guide boxes having interiorly directed shoulders, rail-carrying blocks having shoulders engageable with the shoulders in said boxes to limit the downward movement thereof, lever arms pivoted to said boxes, the short ends of said lever arms forming supports for said blocks, and compression springs engaging the longer ends of said lever arms.

5. A 'ailroad tie comprising a rectangular metallic casing, a guide box removably secured therein and resting on the bottom of said casing, said guide box having upwardly directed shoulders, levers pivoted in said guide box and extending lengthwise of said casing, said levers having inwardly directed short arms and outwardly directed longer arms, springs exerting a downward pressure on the outer ends of said longer arms, and raiLcarrying blocks adapted to rest on the short ends of said levers, said rail-carrying blocks having shoulders to engage with the shoulders in said boxes and limit the downward movement thereof.

6. A railroad tie comprising a rectangular metallic casing, cover plates for said casing, guide boxes removably associated with said casing, said guide boxes having upwardly directed shoulders, pivots in said guide boxes, lever arms on said pivots, said lever arms having inwardly directed short ends and outwardly directed longer ends, and having eyes provided therein, bearing ridge, on the inner ends of said lever arms, belts in said casing and projecting upwardly through said eyes in said lever arms, springs on said bolts above said lever arms, nuts adjustably holding said springs and railcarrying blocks disposed in said boxes and adapted to be resiliently supported by said bearing ridges on said lever arms, said blocks having shoulders to limit the downward movement thereof.

EDWARD lVAR-TMAN. NELS MITCHELL.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington. D. G. 

